 Poster: A snowHead
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Maurienne valley which easily driveable from the UK with lots of lovely walks including over into Italy…then an easy drive through the Frejus tunnel towards Portofino and the lovely Italian Riviera and all its glorious food and gelato.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've only been in the summer when it's warm but the Julian alps around Slovenia are very pleasant. for the OP this could be combined with the adriatic but it would be a very long drive from the UK.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Origen, ski ironmongery ok for winter but not for summer then?
It’s actually pretty unnoticeable in summer compared to winter ime, tends to blend with the landscape. Also it’s kinda handy to hop on a bubble and hike a loop at altitude rather than trudging up 7-800m through forest from valley floor to start the best of the hike so a necessary evil ime.
More of an issue is the earthworks regrading for the pistes, particularly in large Savoie resorts like Val D’Isere Tignes. The hiking behind Bellevarde and across to the top of La Daille is akin to walking in a huge quarry, pretty horrendous actually.
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| sbooker wrote: |
This is an interesting topic. Where and when would be a good for the following please?
Great mountain scenery
Weather that is not hot (I get enough of that at home)
Good hiking trails
Decent dining
I'm guessing sometime in the autumn but would think a lot of places close down after October? |
That pretty much describes the entire Alps range from Slovenia to France, to be honest. Though, I think dining is better in Italy if we're talking huts/refuges.
I don't think you need to wait for October for cooler weather. You can easily get snow as low as 1500 meters in October plus subzero nights, as well as very cold days up high even in August. Although I might avoid August if you really, really don' want temperatures over 25.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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ski ironmongery ok for winter but not for summer then?
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Yep. And you're right about the tortured landscapes. I recall the awfulness of Les Deux Alpes, riding over it going right up to the glacier for summer skiing.
A lift can sometimes be useful to avoid a slog, but they are only open during a limited high summer period (not the beautiful alpine-meadowed spring, or the autumn). And they bring the dreaded mountain bikes. I can do without them, too, hurtling down shared paths.
So yes, I'll do without ironmongery in the summer.
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@Origen, @Markymark29, I think that I see far more wildlife in the Summer up the hill where the lifts are in front of us than on the hill behind us which is the route of the GR50 - just that there's hardly anyone up there in certain sectors in the Summer, and likewise this morning when I was touring up there rather than in the more established areas, so many critters 
Actually, I've just booked a couple of nights down at the Lac this weekend, just hope the breeze does its thing.
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@Origen, I could do without walkers on the trails, but as long as everyone respects the priority of the person coming up hill it's generally OK. I don't need a ski lift to get my MTB up high anyway, that's what pedals were invented for!
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I could do without walkers on the trails, but as long as everyone respects the priority of the person coming up hill it's generally OK.
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I recall going up one quite narrow, twisty, rocky path and hearing (fortunately) bikes coming down in time to step right up onto the bank. They were hurtling; don't think they'd have been able to stop, regardless of my priority. The path was in forest; very little vis.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Origen, I've nearly hit walkers that were on MTB only trails but an anecdote isn't a statistic 
Mountains in the summer are great, OP don't be put off!
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an anecdote isn't a statistic
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Indeed. But there are loads of paths which are not reserved for either walkers or MTBs, and they can be hairy - for both groups of users. My experience is one of the (many) reasons why in summer I would prefer one of the many, many, beautiful, mountain areas without ski ironmongery and brutal landscaping.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| leggyblonde wrote: |
| ...... I don't need a ski lift to get my MTB up high anyway, that's what pedals were invented for.... |
Last of a dying breed
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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they need some pedalling
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I rather think @Weathercam knows that, @ster.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Origen wrote: |
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an anecdote isn't a statistic
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Indeed. But there are loads of paths which are not reserved for either walkers or MTBs, and they can be hairy - for both groups of users. My experience is one of the (many) reasons why in summer I would prefer one of the many, many, beautiful, mountain areas without ski ironmongery and brutal landscaping. |
+1
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Markymark29 wrote: |
More of an issue is the earthworks regrading for the pistes, particularly in large Savoie resorts like Val D’Isere Tignes. The hiking behind Bellevarde and across to the top of La Daille is akin to walking in a huge quarry, pretty horrendous actually. |
Agree with this. When my OH comes out to visit (she's moving here in the summer) she quite likes to walk the places that we ski so that she can see the difference between summer and winter. Whereas I always suggest the many hundreds of km of other paths we could walk up away from bulldozed slopes. I just find these much more interesting and attractive.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
she quite likes to walk the places that we ski so that she can see the difference between summer and winter.
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She must be very fit. One thing that shocks me walking in a ski resort in the summer is just how steep pistes actually are. We cruise down red runs without thinking much about it, yet walking down I realise just how shot my knees are and trying to walk straight up a blue I realised just how shot my heart and lungs are. I once tried to cycle down a red piste. It scared the living daylights out of me and that is from someone who rode down pit heaps as a child (and yes at school there was always one child with a pot on a limb. Children must have stronger bones these days)
The main point is why would you want to visit the same places you ski and not somewhere different. OK we stay in Les Arcs because we have an apartment there and others may stay because it is easy to find somewhere to rent, eat, drink but we like to walk elsewhere. Réserve naturelle nationale de la Grande Sassière is a particular favourite
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Which is why Serre Chevalier is such a great summer resort. Plenty of walking without going anywhere near anything bulldozed.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sorry, but it's valley for me in summer (Bourg St Maurice) over resort. Nice town, free funicular to Les Arcs, short drive to Tignes for day trip, water sports (we always have a family white water rafting trip), nice pump track/skateboard park next to the town, cycle paths.
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@kettonskimum, For me Bourg st Maurice is far too hot in the summer. After shopping or climbing at Rocher d’escalade du Chatelard I am always glad to get back to the cooler, fresher air in Les Arcs.
We do the rafting as well but have you tried drifting down the river on those little body boards?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We normally don't find it hot but must admit it was a scorcher last year. Always cold in the evenings though. We glamp and need blankets overnight. Sometimes thermals! Would rather have it that way though - hot in day and cold at night
No chance on those body boards. It looks a bit out of control and don't fancy being at face level with oncoming rocks! Have rafted 4 times though and slightly different each time based on water levels.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@kettonskimum, I've only once been down on the body board. It was indeed cold and very tiring. Must have rafted about 10 times and as you say very different every time. We did it once in June when there was a lot of melt water in the river. Though the river was flowing very fast the depth was such that many of the boulders that make the river exciting were completely flooded. On another early trip before the main holiday period there were only 4 of us in the boat so the guide pulled ashore just after one of the bridges towards the end and invited us on to the bridge to jump into the river. It was 11 metres down. It is amazing the speed you get up to before hitting the water. I am now totally in awe of divers coming off the 10m board and doing 3 1/2 somersaults before entering head first.
If you like rafting have a go at canyoning. Arc Adventures offer it.
Yes camping up at 1600 will be a bit chilly at night. You need good sleeping bags.
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| sbooker wrote: |
This is an interesting topic. Where and when would be a good for the following please?
Great mountain scenery
Weather that is not hot (I get enough of that at home)
Good hiking trails
Decent dining
I'm guessing sometime in the autumn but would think a lot of places close down after October? |
The Dolomites would be hard to beat. Fantastic scenery (obviously), lots of well marked and mapped hiking trails (drive up to a Col or go up a lift for many of them). And Italian/Austrian food.
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@snowball, +1
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You can see the path zig-zagging up the grassy strip opposite.
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From experience, the one thing you have to be careful of, is to avoid climbing up to what you believe will be a beautiful and unpopulated ridge, with uninterrupted views on all sides, only to find that it's the top station of a cable car from the other side, which has just disgorged a very large number of noisy and unsuitably shod tourists. Check for all uphill transport when route-planning, not just the transport you might want to use.
edited for typo
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Sat 11-05-24 14:44; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Pic above is on the path between Passo Giau and Cinque Torri (in the middle distance) in mid July. Still some bits of snow around and spring flowers.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Currently doing a long weekend down at Embrun, Lac Serre Poncon, and I'd happily sell up in Serre Che and move down here!
Maybe a slight exaggeration but here has so much going on.
Embrun is that quintessential beautiful French town oozing with historical architecture etc and 16km from the nearest ski station Les Orres.
Major hiking trails into the Ecrins Massif, as hard or as easy as you could wish for, and or rafting 20km + rides as the Durance is in major flow currently!
I've booked another week mid May in addition to the two weeks start of June it's that good.
2 bed cabin on the camp site 4nts €260 can sleep 5.
Loads of sport events also down here we've signed up for a 10km one weekend & then a 16km Trail (800m) run following weekend, though many of the locals look super fit!
The mountains 3,000m drop all the way down to the lac, stunning scenery.
Today been out trying to Wing Foil but winds to light for me, but getting buzzed my 8yr olds 50kg lighter than me
And interestingly people out on the water here don't have too much in the way of safety gear (helmet / buoyancy aid) compared to back on the UK must be the lake environment as opposed to the sea, and but the surface area of the lac at Embrun is quite small as the big one is still filling in the next month or so.
And put things into perspective, glass of prosecco in a bar in the main square tonight €3.
So can thoroughly recommend it here, as we've been out and about again exploring down here.
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@Weathercam, sounds fab enjoy
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You know it makes sense.
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We're back from a long weekend in Como, and thought it was great. We stayed on the Lecco side of the lake, so it felt a lot less touristy than the Como side.
Lecco itself is not worth visiting, however the campsite we were on is:
https://www.rivabellalecco.it/en
We had tried to get in to this site, but it was full, we walked past though and said we'd stay there next time:
https://www.campingspiaggia.com/en/
As a location it gives you a mix of beach and mountains all in one, and there's plenty of walking around there, and some cable cars you could ride up.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Markymark29 wrote: |
| @Weathercam, sounds fab enjoy |
And I forgot to mention, next holiday weekend there is a huge Extreme Sports festival featuring a whole load of Sports Disciplines where you can excel at breaking your collar-bone
https://www.outdoormixfestival.com/
And evidently the river there had one of the finest Kayaking Waves (I've never heard of the term) until last evening when a mate* was telling me all about La Clapière Vague which was destroyed in the December floods.
*daughter is World Champion (RedBull Athlete) Extreme Kayaker Nouria Newman
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